Can-opener.



JOSEPH ALEXANDER POLAKOVICH, OF NEW BRIGHTON, PENNSYLVANIA.

CAN-OPENER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed June 24., 1911.

Patented Feb. 20, 1912.

Serial No. 635,077.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOSEPH ALEXANDER POLAKOVIOH, a subject of the King of Hungary, residing at New Brighton, in the county of Beaver and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Can-Openers, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawing.

This invention relates to a can opener, and the primary object of my invention is the provision of positive and reliable means, in a manner as will be hereinafter set forth, for gripping cans of various sizes and eX- peditiously cutting the caps thereof whereby the can can be easily opened.

Another object of this invention is to provide a can opener with an adjustable center post for a swinging knife adapted to enter a can and sever the top thereof.

A further object of this invention is to provide a can opening tool consisting of comparatively few parts inexpensive to manufacture and easy to assemble, the tool being designed whereby it can be safely used without any injury to the operator and without crushing the can.

With the above and other objects in view, the invention resides in the novel construction, combination and arrangement of parts to be hereinafter specifically described and then claimed.

Reference will now be had to the drawing, wherein Figure 1 is a plan of the can opener applied to a can, Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same, and Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the can opening tool.

A can opener in accordance with this invention comprises arms 1 and 2 having the one end thereof provided with apertured lugs 3 pivotally connected by a pin or rivet 4:, said lugs and rivets being constructed upon the principle of a rule hinge. These arms constitute handles for the can opener. The opposite ends of the arms are curved to form gripping jaws or members and are provided with inwardly projecting prongs 6 adapted to engage the side walls of a can 7 to prevent the jaws from slipping upon said can when said jaws are held in engagement therewith by a hand gripping the arms.

To normally maintain the jaws in an open position, a fiat spring 8 has one end thereof riveted or otherwise connected, as at 9 to the arm 1, adjacent to the hinge, and the opposite end of said spring engages the inner wall of the arm 2.

The arms 1 and 2, contiguous to the curved ends thereof, have the upper edges thereof provided with apertured ears 10 and loosely mounted in said apertured ears is a transverse rod 11. Mounted upon the rod 11, between the ears 10 is the barrel 12 of a support 13, said support having a longitudinal slot 14 formed therein.

Slidably and rotatably mounted upon the support 13 is a crank or lever 15 having a center pin 16, which extends through the slot 14. The lever is retained in engagement with the support 13 by the head 17 of said lever and by a washer 18 mounted upon the pin 16. The lower end of the center pin is pointed, as at 19 whereby it can be easily driven through the lid or cover 20 of the can 7. The outer end of the lever 15 is provided with a handle 21 and with a depending cutting blade 22 adapted to enter the lid or cover 20, at the edges thereof, and sever the top of the lid or cover.

Cans of various sizes can be gripped by the gripping jaws 5, and the support 13 can be lowered and the center pin 16 forced through the lid or cover 20. With the center pin in engagement with the lid or cover, the lever 15 can be swung over the lid or cover with the cutting blade thereof cutting a circumferential slit or slot, which is held in engagement with the can by the uncut portion beneath the support 13. It is possible, however, to shift the pin 11 in the cars 10 to move the support to one side of the center of the lid or cover, and then by further manipulating the lever 15, the top of the lid or cover can be completely severed.

By swinging the support 13 upwardly, the gripping jaws 5 can be used as a wrench in removing the lid or cover from a Mason ar.

The tool in its entirety is made of light and durable metal and can be made of various sizes.

What I claim is 1. A can opener comprising a pair of arms pivotally connected at one end and terminating at their other ends in curved can gripping jaws, apertured lugs carried by said arms adjacent the gripping jaws, a rod loosely received in said apertured lugs, a slotted support secured at one end to said rod, a lever slidably supported at its inner end in the slotted portion of said support, a

depending pin carried by the inner end of said lever for engagement in the can top, and a depending cutting blade carried by the outer end of said lever.

2. In a can opener, a pair of arms constituting handles pivoted together at one end, curved gripping jaws formed integral with the other ends of said arms and provided with can gripping means on their inner faces, a spring between the arms normally tending to hold the gripping jaws in open position, apertured lugs carried by said arms on the upper edges thereof, a rod loosely received in said lugs, a support fixed Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the fcommissioner of Patents,

at one end on said rod and provided with a 5 cutter depending from the lever at the outer 20 end thereof.

In testimony whereof I aflix my slgnatrue 111 the presence of two witnesses.

JOSEPH ALEXANDER POLAKOVIGH.

Witnesses ROXIE E. VVELLS, GEO. E. BEITSCH.

Washington, I). 0. 

